Lucky Number Eleven
by HMTQ - Madge
Summary: Ever wonder what a Pokemon feels like when it's been traded? Sad? Upset? Hurt? Entei knows the feeling all to well, trying hard not to become jaded after he's been traded again... and again... and again... Will a twist make him see things in a new light?


A/N: Hey ! It's been a while. Last night I started thinking about how so many people keep the same Pokemon every game, trading their Pokemon from their old game to the new one when it comes out. So... I started thinking about how the Pokemon would feel about that, being traded from each new generation of Pokemon game to the next. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I ended up shelling this out. Hope you enjoy!

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**_Lucky Number Eleven_**

I looked up at the bright blue eyes of my new trainer. She looked at me adoringly, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. Her large, curly ponytail swayed from the movement. This was a great day for her, an amazing day even.

I wish I could say the same for myself.

I didn't bother making myself look presentable. I didn't try standing tall to make myself look regal and elegant like I did in the past. I knew I should have made some sort of effort, if only for the girls sake, but I didn't. I had done this too many times before to bother. I simply sat there while the girl rambled on about me and the adventures we were going to have together. I was barely listening, but tried my best to look attentive. Glancing behind her, I could see my old trainer walking away in the distance, shiny new Pokeball in hand. I had almost certainly been traded for a fellow legendary Pokemon. Something better than me, something that trainer needed more. Why else would you trade an Entei?

I looked back at my new trainer, who I lazily dubbed 'Ponytail'. I never bothered learning new trainer's real names anymore. They only ever had nicknames from me. Ponytail was still rattling on about something. For the first time it crossed my mind to try listening.

"…I've heard a lot about you, ever since I was a little girl. I practically grew up on stories about the legendary beasts." She laughed a bit, smiling warmly. "I'm going to take good care of you. Do the same for me, okay?"

I blinked.

Ponytail must have taken that as a yes, because next thing I knew she threw her arms around me in an unexpected hug. I grunted as the force of the tiny girl hit me. It felt like less of a hug and more of a tackle. "I hope we can be together for a long, long time." Ponytail whispered.

I lost count of how many times I heard that line. I tried to keep the cynical thoughts away. _"She seems nice. Maybe she'll keep me around longer than the others." _I told myself. I stopped thinking the new trainers would keep me around forever, like so many had promised before. All I hoped for nowadays was for the nice trainers to keep me around for a little bit longer than others, before trading me away again.

Once again I looked into the bright blue eyes of my new trainer. My new trainer…

This will mark the tenth time I have been traded.

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I was right when I thought Ponytail seemed nice. I was let out of my Pokeball more than the other Pokemon, and she always fed me extra poffins when the others weren't looking. I was her favorite, something that was rather obvious to me now as for the fourth day in a row she fell asleep cuddled up next to my shaggy brown fur. Ponytail was indeed nice… but how many other trainers have I had who acted the same before I was once again traded?

"_I shouldn't think about such things. It's not good to dwell on the past." _I scolded myself. I knew it was too late, as my mind had already drifted back to thoughts I've had many times before. I thought back on the many trainers I have had, all that were kind and caring towards me. Trainers like Red Bandana, Blue Hair, Pigtails… of course I knew none of their real names. All of them stuck out in my mind as trainers who were especially kind and caring towards me for the time we were together. There was one trainer in particular my mind always drifted back to, even though I tried not to think about her. A futile attempt, as even after all these years I remember her clear as day.

She was my first trainer. My first trainer, who always wore her trademark blue tank top and white floppy hat. Those weren't the things I remembered her by, though. She was important enough to me that I knew her name and remembered it even after all this time. She was special to me. Her name was Leaf. Leaf was the only trainer I ever became attached to. I became friends with all of her Pokemon, but I never felt a stronger friendship than what I had with Leaf. Not only that, I had great respect for her. She was the only trainer strong enough to defeat and capture me. She promised me we would be together forever.

I looked down at Ponytail. That very obviously did not happen.

After Leaf traded me, it took a lot of strength not to become bitter, cynical. I remember the day she traded me clearly. How could I forget? I was walking alongside Leaf when she encountered another trainer. Almost immediately they engaged in a battle after meeting like most trainers do. I don't remember the battle well. It's been years since then. All I remember is I managed to deal the final blow and defeat the trainer.

After that, Leaf and the trainer started talking. I sat quietly while they argued back and forth, Leaf looking uncertain about something her fellow trainer was trying to coax her into. They finally agreed on something I didn't hear. Looking back on it now, I wish I would have paid more attention to what they were saying. If I had known what was coming next… I almost certainly would have clung to every word.

It wasn't until I looked on in horror as Leaf gave the trainer my Pokeball that I realized what had happened. I was frozen in shock. I couldn't believe it. I barely noticed as the trainer walked over to me, smiling smugly. All I could focus on was Leaf, who was staring down at the Pokeball she traded for me. She seemed just as frozen in place as I was.

It wasn't until tears started to pour down her face that I realized she was. I knew she regretted her decision immediately. I desperately wished she would say something. I waited for her to beg my new trainer to have me back. I waited for her to apologize and say she couldn't give me away, I was too important to her. We would walk away like nothing happened.

She didn't say a word.

Slowly, she put her new Pokeball in her bag. Slowly, she wiped her tears away and smiled at me, trying her best to look strong. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She waved goodbye to me, and slowly, ever so slowly, turned to walk away.

That was the last I ever saw of her. It's been a long three years and ten new trainers since then.

I have encountered many different Pokemon in my time that became jaded and hard after being traded. Of course they never called it being traded. They called it being abandoned. I didn't want to become like them. After Leaf traded me, I teetered on the edge of becoming bitter for the next year. Of course I felt betrayed. Of course I felt angry, upset… but I continued to struggle not to become like _them_.

I knew something those bitter Pokemon did not. Our trainers… They don't understand what we go through when we are traded. To them, it's practically like the circle of life. Almost no trainers keep the same Pokemon for an extended period of time. And who can blame them? With so many new Pokemon being discovered every year and so many different possibilities open in turn, it makes sense to trade us. That, or we are left to rot in their PCs. Trading is the better choice to them. I decided it was for the best not to become bitter. These trainers didn't even know better. I would be a strong Pokemon who fought for them when they needed me. I would be kind, a Pokemon they could count on. And when it was time for me to be traded, I would accept it gracefully.

I felt stirring beside me as Ponytail began to wake up. I stood up, ready to leave immediately. I needed to get away from my thoughts, even if I knew they would be back to haunt me soon.

* * *

I knew what was coming next.

I hadn't been let out of my Pokeball in a week, maybe two. Ponytail was ready to get rid of me. She was ready to trade me off, like so many before her. I knew this was coming for a while now. As soon as that day came when we reached the Elite Four and subsequently beat them, I knew. I discovered the pattern after the third or so time I had been traded. The Elite Four is almost always a sure sign we are going to part ways soon. Trainers are ready to start a new adventure in a new region by then. They're ready to start over with new Pokemon. She doesn't need me anymore.

So when I was let out of my Pokeball for the first time in weeks, I wasn't surprised to see the teary eyes of Ponytail. Almost immediately she began rambling on and on, a habit I noticed she did when she was nervous or upset. I sat quietly as the quivering voice of Ponytail rattled on. I could barely understand her, and my mind drifted as it had many times before when Ponytail went into hysterics like this.

"_Another new trainer, huh? Lucky number eleven…" _I was brought out of my thoughts rather forcefully by the same pseudo tackle-hug Ponytail gave me when we first met. I sat patiently as Ponytail stroked my fur, and hugged me tighter. She was silent for the first time in a while. Gently, she pushed herself away from me.

"I need you to pay attention carefully." She whispered, looking me in the eye. "Are you listening?"

I nodded.

"Your new trainer… She's going to take good care of you. Of course you probably already know that." She smiled at my confused expression. "Under any normal circumstances, I wouldn't trade you. But after I heard her story, and about how long she's been looking for you…" Ponytail once again broke off into incoherent rambling.

"_Ah. My new trainer must be a fan of the Entei species." _I thought.

Ponytail looked over my shoulder at something behind me. "Your trainer is coming this way now." She looked at me, becoming teary eyed again. I started to turn around to face my new trainer, but Ponytail stopped me. She smiled at me warmly, even though her teary eyes. "I'm going to miss you. Goodbye Entei." She murmured, giving me one last tight hug. "Oh and… don't be too surprised, okay?"

I stared at her blankly. Don't be too surprised? What could that possibly mean?

Suddenly my heart jumped as everything seemed to click. My new trainer had been looking for me for a long time? I already knew she was going to take care of me? I couldn't possibly hope, I had learned better after three years than to hope for the impossible. I couldn't allow myself after so many years to get my hopes up-

I spun around quickly to face my new trainer- No… to face my old trainer. I froze in place.

"Hello Entei." Leaf whispered, a large smile forming on her face. Her voice shook from the tears forming in her eyes. "I've missed you."

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A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed. I'm not sure how I feel about this fic; On one hand I enjoyed writing a short little fic like this and really stepped out of my comfort zone writing it, but on the other I feel like I could have done better. Critique and reviews are appreciated greatly. Thanks for reading!


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